About this Research Topic
Contributions to the Research Topic can explore how a polycentric and hyper-personalized media environment affects audience member engagement and perceptions of brands and issues. Articles can also explore the message strategies and communication tactics that audience members contribute to the IMC process. In addition to dealing with social scientific topics, contributions can investigate the ethical and legal issues related to audience participation in advertising to their own peers. Although audience inclusion in IMC has some potential drawbacks, it can also generate more meaningful consumer information. Therefore, a variety of perspectives on the topic of audience participation in IMC are welcomed.
As the goal of this article collection is to increase the scope of our knowledge of how audience members participate in the IMC and branding process and the influence of this increased participation on advertising and promotional efforts, the scope of the Research Topic is wide. The editors welcome articles that take a social scientific perspective as well as critical and cultural perspectives. Audience participation can be studied in a variety of contexts including mobile, digital, and social media environments; gaming, virtual, and augmented reality; events and social gatherings; or any other context where audiences might shape promotional communication and branding. In addition to exploring how audience participation shapes IMC, articles can also explore how increased audience participation in branding influences consumers. Interdisciplinary contributions are encouraged.
Keywords: social media, hyperpersonalization, word-of-mouth, user-generated content, livestreaming, transmedia, influencing, gaming, microblogging, fandom, virality
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.